Gamer services

Microsoft.Xbox.Services is the platform's build of XNA gamer services (Microsoft.Xna.Framework.GamerServices), with Xbox additions for Kinect versions of the system screens, social networks, presence and parental ratings.

Signing in and the signed-in gamer work on any profile. Presence and anything else kept per title need a runtime profile that keeps the donor's title (New-RuntimeProfile.ps1 -KeepTitle, see The app's title).

Starting it

GamerServices has to be initialized, then pumped regularly. XboxApplicationFrame does both; without it, see App model. Sign-in changes, SignedIn and SignedOut, and Guide.IsVisible only update while it's pumped, and presence changes are only sent then.

The signed-in gamer

SignedInGamer gamer = Gamer.SignedInGamers.Count > 0 ? Gamer.SignedInGamers[0] : null;
GamerText.Text = gamer != null ? "Signed in as " + gamer.Gamertag : "Not signed in";

samples\apps\CatalogBrowser shows the gamertag. Under xenia it's the emulator's profile name.

System screens

The XNA Guide methods, plus SignedInGamer.ShowFriends, ShowGamerCard, ShowComposeMessage, ShowParty and others, open the console's own screens. A few points:

  • One at a time: only one system screen can be open; opening another throws GuideAlreadyVisibleException.
  • Kinect versions: overloads that take a trackingId show the Kinect version of the screen for that tracked user. NuiGuide has the Kinect-required, controller-required and troubleshooting screens.
  • Text limits: message boxes take 1 to 3 buttons, and titles, text and keyboard fields must be under 256 characters.

Under xenia, most of these screens aren't implemented: the calls return without showing anything.

Threading and async calls

Completion callbacks of the Begin.../End... methods and of the ...Async events run on thread-pool threads, so use Dispatcher.BeginInvoke for UI. Many of the events are static and pass sender as null; use the userState argument to tell your requests apart.

What needs Xbox LIVE

Marketplace, purchase receipts, social network tokens and XAuth tokens need an Xbox LIVE sign-in, which isn't available, so they fail. Missing sign-in or privileges throws GamerPrivilegeException. PresenceModeString must be a mode defined in the title's LIVE configuration, or it throws ArgumentException.

Parental controls

ContentRating with CanAccess/CanAccessAsync, and SignedInGamer.GetRating, check content against the console's family settings.